A Gaggle of Light General Aviation (GA) Aircraft Call into Emerald Airport

Certainly a busy day at Emerald Airport on Monday 28 October with an interesting variety of light General Aviation (GA) aircraft noted visiting on various flights.

Noted making an arrival from Wanella Station near Coppabella was Seair Pacific / Istlecote Cessna 208 Caravan VH-TQW. The Caravan later departed to Hervey Bay (Fraser Coast) Airport.

File photo

It appears that Seair Pacific / Istlecote operates into Wanella Station from the Fraser Coast region - Hervey Bay and Maryborough Airports - at least once a week on what appear to be closed Fly-in Fly-out (FIFO) charter flights.

Also noted visiting Emerald Airport - twice - was Sundown Pastoral Company (of Bonogin in the Gold Coast Hinterland) Raytheon B300 Super King Air VH-NSI. The sleek Super King Air was noted arriving from the Gold Coast and Keytah before it later departed to Pinnarendi.  VH-NSI later returned to the Gold Coast over the same route.

Also visiting briefly was Vanderfield Pilatus PC-12/47 VH-WPH which looked to arrive from its Toowoomba base before later departing to Mackay Airport.

UPDATE!  On Tuesday 29 October, VH-WPH continued from Mackay Airport to the Whitsunday Airport at Shute Harbour before heading South to Biloela / Thangool and Bundaberg Airports.

The other interesting visitor into Emerald Airport was Torres Strait Air Pilatus Britten-Norman BN2B-20 Islander VH-WZP which looked to arrive from Watts Bridge and later depart to Cairns.  It looked to fly South to Watts Bridge a fortnight earlier, also via Emerald Airport.  It appears to have undergone planned maintenance at Watts Bridge.

Of interest, research reveals that last Thursday 24 October, fellow Torres Strait Air Pilatus Britten-Norman BN-2A-27 Islander VH-TRS passed through Emerald Airport while flying from Mareeba to Watts Bridge where it too is possibly going to undergo planned maintenance.

UPDATE!  On Thursday 31 October, Torres Strait Air Pilatus Britten-Norman BN2A-21 Islander VH-URJ was also noted passing through Emerald Airport, arriving from Cairns and later departing to Watts Bridge.

UPDATE!  On Friday 8 November, VH-TRS returned North from Watts Bridge via Emerald and Charters Towers Airports to Mareeba and then Cairns following its maintenance layover.

Photo taken by Dan B  ©